Brandon Marquis Kelly, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, IA 2015

Davenport man Brandon Marquis Kelly, 31, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after being caught with a loaded firearm he fired into a residential complex — sending a bullet through the floor and into a downstairs apartment. The December 18, 2015 incident, which damaged two units, ended with Kelly pleading guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm on July 22, 2016 — a charge carrying severe penalties due to his violent criminal past.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose handed down the eight-year sentence on December 12, 2016, emphasizing the danger Kelly posed to the public. No plea deal was reached, meaning the full weight of federal sentencing guidelines was applied. In addition to prison time, Kelly will serve three years of supervised release and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund — a small penalty compared to the potential for catastrophic harm.

Court records show Kelly was armed with a Hi-Point .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside an apartment at the complex when he discharged the weapon — not in self-defense, not during an altercation, but under circumstances still raising red flags for investigators. The bullet pierced through the floor, striking the unit below and endangering innocent lives. There were no reports of injuries — but only by sheer luck.

Kelly’s criminal history is long and violent. In 2010, he was convicted in Rock Island County, Illinois, for Delivery of a Controlled Substance — specifically cocaine. That felony alone barred him from legally possessing any firearm. But he has also been convicted multiple times for Battery and Domestic Abuse Assault, including a second-offense charge — marking a pattern of aggression behind closed doors and on the streets.

The investigation was led by the Davenport Police Department’s Tactical Operations Bureau and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who traced the weapon and corroborated witness statements about the gunfire. Federal jurisdiction was triggered the moment it was confirmed Kelly was a convicted felon — turning a local disturbance into a federal firearms crime.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, with U.S. Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel confirming the outcome. Media inquiries are directed to Rachel Scherle at 515-473-9300 or Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov. For residents in Davenport’s hard-hit neighborhoods, the sentence brings no redemption — just another reminder of the thin line between a gunshot and tragedy.